How are repairs, missing instruments and replacements tracked?
SPM® maintains records of trays or instruments out for repair and records of the trays that are missing instruments (so that when the repaired item comes back, the customer will know which copy of the set the item goes into). With SPM®, trays can be scanned out for repair, and with ITM, a specific individual instrument can be scanned out for repair. The trays or instruments can be scanned as they leave the department to indicate the date and time that they left. SPM®’s Set Repair reports show a history of items sent out for repair. A label can also be printed and affixed to the wrap or container to show which instruments are missing from a tray. Furthermore, by tracking back to the case on which sets with missing instruments were last used, the surgical team responsible for the losses can be identified and positive actions can be taken to reduce the cost of instrument repairs and replacements.
